that's part of being in america and that's what your school board, your teachers, your principal, they have done so effectively. is they try to protect you. and even stand in the way of bullets to protect you. that is not a fear that you should have. and although we are all grieving right now, this is a very tough time. there is a great strength that is coming out in the voices that are being spoken here. and you've got to let that strength overrule the fears. but, at the same time, you've got to continue to be strong and speak out. i said earlier, your hope gives me hope. your determination gives me more determination to see this through and get some common

sense laws with regard to guns in america. >> thank you, senator. >> i just don't understand why -- so many students' lives, so many teachers' lives, all of this for it to change. why does it have to take so many? by the first time, it should have been changed. but it's gone so far. you lost a future olympic medalist, whose funeral i was supposed to be attending, but change is more important, because that's what they would have wanted. why did it have to take so much blood to be spilt, so much money for you guys to gain from not answering the question, mr. rubio? why is this happening? why aren't we -- why hasn't this changed already? why do we have to be the last school?

why wasn't it the first school the last school? >> and you can ask the same question, why two years ago when 49 lives were taken in the pulse nightclub and nothing was done. not in washington, not in tallahassee, not one thing offered by the administration in tallahassee. and here we are, going through this again. and it's gone to unfortunately very possibly continue unless we get some common sense laws on the book. >> thank you, senator nelson. i want to bring chris grady back. cameron introduced us all to him. he's a senior and he recently enlisted in the army. and thank you for that, chris grady. and he has a question for senator rubio. >> i would just like to thank you again for coming out and listening to us, because that's a lot more than can be said for our so-called president and governor. i believe i speak for myself and my colleagues in the never-again movement when i say, though we might not see eye to eye on a lot of these issues, we need you

and your colleagues on both sides to come together with us and find compromise if we are to ever to solve this epidemic that is -- i'm sorry. this epidemic that is plaguing our country. senator rubio, i believe a big issue, when it comes to the debate about semiautomatic weapons and automatic weapons is large-capacity magazines. would you agree that there is no place in our society for large-capacity magazines capable of firing over from 15 to 30 rounds, and if not, more. >> first, let me thank you for our willingness to serve our country. you're doing it tonight and you're going to do it in uniform and we're very grateful to you. >> thank you. >> and i'm glad you asked that question, because i traditionally have not supported looking at magazine clip size.

and after this and some of the details i've learned about it, i'm reconsidering that position. and i'll tell you why. i'll tell you why. because while it may not prevent an attack, it may save lives in an attack. and i'll let the authorities discuss at the appropriate time why i say that. but suffice it to say, i believe that there will be evidence that at a key moment in this incident three or four people, three or four people might be alive today because of something that this deranged killer did, had to do. and obviously, it's not for me to make law enforcement announcements. i don't know what the right number is.

i don't know what -- i know that there are, for example, handguns that have 17. so we'll have to get into that debate, but that is something i believe that we can reach a compromise in this country, and that i'm willing to reconsider. because i do believe, and in that sentence, it wouldn't have prevented the attack, but it would have made it less lethal. and that's the kind of thing that i hope my colleagues -- and that's why i hope these discussions are important. because they do lead you to rethink positions after you've taken new information and new input from people. by the way, american politics is the only part of our lives where changing your mind based on new information is a bad thing. we do it in every aspect of our lives. and we have to stop doing that, as well. so that is an issue i'll look into, absolutely. >> thank you, senator. there's no question that the republican party is more allied with the nra than the democratic party, but it also is worth pointing out that the democrats controlled the house, the senate, and the white house in 2009 and 2010 and gun control was not a priority. that's just a fact. senator nelson, was that a mistake by your party? >> uh, yes. when the senate had 60 votes, as we did, until ted kennedy died,

that's how we got the affordable care act passed, and yes, gun legislation under those circumstances should have been considered, because there had been a lot of massacres up to that point. it was sandy hook that occurred later in the obama administration, that a lot of people thought would be the turning point, because of these little first, second, and third graders gunned down. and yet, nothing was done. and then you go through all the other shootings. and so, i can tell you that in the meantime, until we do get 60 votes again in the u.s. senate, when we can guarantee that we would get the legislation

through, i'm going to continue to work with my colleagues and specifically senator rubio to see whatever we can get. the hard reality is that there are not a majority of senators, primarily the ones that have been supported, financially, by the nra, there's not a majority of senators that are going to be willing to do a lot. i'm glad what senator rubio has said here tonight. that he is willing to rethink his positions. and, so, i'm looking forward to doing everything that we can, and accomplish as much as we can, given the circumstances politically that we're in. >> thank you, senator nelson. >> and senator nelson said "in the meantime." in the meantime doesn't mean in the next five years or seven years or ten years. it means in the next few weeks. on monday, when we return to

washington, d.c., we're going to try to do this thing called unanimous consent where you don't really have a vote, it's just unless any senator objects, it passes the law to pass the background check. i believe there are 60 votes to ban bump stocks. i believe we could have 60 votes at the federal level to change the age from 18 to 21 on the purchase of any rifles. i believe -- and i know you're a co-sponsor of the safe school act. prevent, you know, it's the safe school act that's been filed by a member of congress from florida that is going to be filed on monday -- it's going to be filed on monday by senator hatch of utah, that i believe we can also pass in the senate. so there are things that we can begin to do on issues that there is consensus on. my biggest fear remains that our attention span on this country on virtually every issue is seven to ten days and then we pivot -- you know, we're one tweet away or one story away from focusing on something else. and we cannot continue on an issue of this important to make that, to allow that to happen.

so i do think we can make progress. >> congressman, next question is for you. i want to bring in annabel quinn clapper, she's a sophomore, she was in the building when the shooting occurred and she has a question for you. >> hi. >> hi. >> when it comes to the safety and security of our students in our schools, how come there aren't equal methods of protection deployed to all schools, despite their social infrastructure, crime rates, and median income? >> i actually -- this is a pretty straightforward question. every school, every school should have the security that's necessary to keep the students safe. every school in every part of the community. so that's pretty straightforward. but there's a lot more that we have to do, and i just want to -- i want to talk about, as part of this, just for a second, the debate that we've heard,

because i've got to tell you, it sounds -- and you can correct me if i'm wrong, but it's starting to sound like what we've always heard before. and here's the thing. this isn't -- it's not a 5k. it's a sprint right now, for the people in this community. the fact is, the fact is, banning bump stocks, something that converts a semiautomatic weapon into a killing machine, that's -- we don't need to think about that. we need to do it next week! next week! >> thank you. >> and putting -- and fixing the background checks, again, senator rubio, i appreciate the effort to pass legislation that the nra can live with, with that doesn't -- that fixes, that helps with the background check. but it doesn't require everyone

to get one. that's not complicated. yes, ma'am? >> i just want to know, will my school campus be safe when i return? because i plan to not return until i know that something is going to change. and i'm not the only one. >> i can -- i can tell you -- i can tell you that the commitment from superintendent runcie and from sheriff israel and from law enforcement and from your teachers and from everyone who is focused on school security is going to do everything you can to make sure that it is safe when you go back. because the real issue is that you're -- you have to ask that question. [ inaudible question ]

sorry? [ inaudible question ] well, then, if there were -- if there were issues that happened yesterday, then those issues need to get fixed before marjory stoneman douglas gets reopened. that's absolutely right. look, i can't -- i can tell you that we need to have the community come together. everyone who's involved in security needs to be involved to make sure that your school is safe. and everyone who cares about the safety of the schools, who represents you either in tallahassee or in washington, also has to do everything they can to make sure that you're safe. and when congress goes back next week, we need to move forward, we need to take care of the bump stock ban. we need to have universal background checks. we have to have pass the bill that says, if you're too dangerous to fly, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun. all of those things should be done next week. and here's the last thing, here's the last thing. the discussion that's taking place here tonight is important. it's really important for

everyone here to hear it. but the reason things are going to be different this time is because the people in this room and the people around the country who are inspired by the people in this room. and that's high school students and college students and adults in every part of the country, they're not going to let this debate just go back. they're not going to simply go back and let us go to washington and have panels and discussions and hearings. i said it in the beginning. jake, i've just got to say it again. the time for talking about how we fix things in washington when it comes to guns is over. it's over. we know what we have to do. this is not -- and i want to

just finish with this. this is not a partisan issue. i've spoken to so many republicans, so many in this room, who have said, look, at this point, there is one issue and one issue only that i am focused on. and that is making sure that we take action to keep our kids and our schools safe and to get dangerous weapons of war off of our streets. that has to be our priority and we've got to do it now. >> thank you, congressman. i want to thank senator rubio, senator nelson, and congressman deutch. your presence here tonight has made an tremendous impression on all of us. and as senator rubio said, minds have been opened for tonight. when we come back, a national spokesman for the nra will be here and the broward county sheriff will be here to answer the students' questions face to face. stay with us. what's with him? he's happy. your family's finally eating vegetables thanks to our birds eye voila skillet meals. and they only take 15 minutes to make. augh! (family giggling) oh my. birds eye voila! so veggie good.

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welcome back to cnn's town hall with the students and families and faculty to have stoneman douglas high school. in the days following the shooting, many students expressed their frustration about one group, the nra. dana loesch is the national spokesperson for the nra. she is here with us along with broward county sheriff, scott israel. we're going to be asking them questions in this segment. sheriff israel, i do want to start with you about a question that was asked earlier. you ordered today that a deputy or deputies in broward county will be present at douglas school, but also at schools throughout broward county, carrying rifles, armed. this afternoon, president trump

suggested that teachers, we should think about arming them as well. we discussed that a little bit earlier. i'm wondering what you as a law enforcement officer, what you think? >> i don't believe teachers should be armed. i believe teachers should teach. but that's exactly what's wrong with this country. we have people in washington, d.c., representatives, senators and legislators telling teachers what they should do without asking teachers, what do you want to do? >> okay. i want to bring in right now senior emma gonzalez. she has a question. she has a question for dana. [ cheers and applause ] >> first of all, i want to thank mr. fostner for teaching us everything we learned. i could no have written that speech without you. half of that was like directly from notes and i want to thank

you for that. second of all -- oh, i had a thing i was going to say. happens to the best of us. all right. dana loesch, i want to know that we will support your two children in the way that you will not. the shooter at our school obtained weapons that he used on us legally. do you believe that it should be harder to obtain the semi-automatic and weapons -- weapons, and the modifications for these weapons to make them fully automatic like bump stocks. >> well, first off, emma, i want to applaud you for standing up and speaking out. and for anyone who has ever criticized you or any of these students up here, including people who have been on my side of this issue, i don't think

that anyone should deny you your voice or deny you your position because you are young. >> we want to thank you for that. >> i was a very politically active teenager. and i'm on this stage as a result of that. think of how far you all could go as a result of voicing your beliefs. now, i want to answer your question -- and i want to be allowed the opportunity, which is why i am here, to talk and have this discussion with you all and answer these questions. this is why i came down here. i don't believe that this insane monster should have ever been able to obtain a firearm. ever. i do not think that he should have gotten his hands on any kind of weapon. that's number one. this individual was nuts. and i, nor the millions of people that i represent as a part of this organization that i'm here speaking for, none of us support people who are crazy, who are a danger to themselves, who are a danger to others getting their hands on a

firearm. and we have been, for over 20 years, and i have been screaming about this, which is why i'm here, because i have kids. and i'm not just fighting for my kids, i'm fighting for you. i'm fighting for you. i'm fighting for all of you. because i don't want anyone to ever be in this position again. i want everyone to think about this for one second, and this goes right into your question. do you know that it is not federally required for states to actually report people who are prohibited possessors, crazy people, people who are murderers? no? we've been actually talking about that for a long time. let me answer the question. let me answer the question. you can shout me down when i'm finished, but let me answer emma's question. it is not federal law for states to report convictions to the nics system. it's not federally mandated. that's the big question. and i wish that this network had also covered this more, as other media networks would have covered it. that's a huge -- wait a second! wait a second!

>> you guys, if i can't hear her statement, i can't come up with a rebuttal. please. >> wait a second. do you guys want to stop mentally insane individuals from getting firearms? yes? they have to be in the system, if they are convicted. you can convict them, you can adjudicate them mentally unfit. if a state does not report it to the national crime information center, when you run that form, this individual passed -- this madman passed a background check. how was he able to pass a background check? he was able to pass a background check because we have a system that's flawed. the sutherland springs murderer was able to pass a background check because the air force did not report that record. >> i think i'm going to interrupt you real quick and remind you that the question is actually, do you believe it should be harder to obtain these semiautomatic weapons and modifications to make them fully

automatic, such as bump stocks? >> well, i think the atf is deciding about bump stocks right now. the president ordered the doj to look into -- >> i'm asking your opinion as a representative of the nra. >> that's what the nra's position has been. >> what's yours? >> i'm talking for them. these are the 5 million members that i'm here representing. that's what that group's position has been on that. so that answers your question. and they spoke about that before the president made a move, and they spoke about that before attorney general jeff sessions made an announcement about that, too. so that answers your question with that. >> let me interject for a second, though. and i understand you're standing up for the nra and i understand that's what you're supposed to do. but you just told this group of people that you are standing up for them. you're not standing up for them until you say, i want less weapons. [ cheers and applause ] >> these people want three things. and i come here tonight with 39 years in law enforcement.

i've baker acted people. i've taken weapons from people. the men and women that i've worked with for 40 years. we know how to keep america safe, number one. we have to -- you're right, we have to take weapons out of the hands of people that suffer from mental illness. we have to expand the baker act. we have to be able, when police encounter someone, emma, when police encounter someone who has gone through a mental illness, we don't only have to wait -- or we shouldn't have to wait until they are a danger to themselves or someone else. we should be able to take them to an institution that's going to examine them and take weapons away from them, right then and there, at that time. >> and sheriff, you're a member of the nra, yes? no, you're not a member of the nra.

>> no. >> i want to bring in diane wolf rogers who teaches ap world history. one of the victims, carmen schentrop, was in her class and she has a question for dana, as well. >> dana, i viewed the dead body of carmen schentrup, our student. i watched her mother and father kiss her good-bye one last time and close the top of her casket. i looked at robert and hugged him, my dear, dear robert, and i told you that carmen, she died a martyr. our kids have started a revolution. i'm proud and i'm inspired to be a part of never again. now, here's my question. i'm a history teacher. i asked my students to define terms for me. so i would like you to define something for me, because i've wondered about it. and i want to know. what is your definition of a

well-regulated militia, as stated in the second amendment? and using supporting detail, explain to me how -- [ cheers and applause ] let me finish! let me finish! and using supporting detail, explain to me how an 18-year-old with a military rifle is well regulated? and the world, our country, our nation is going to grade your answer. >> well, by all means -- [ cheers and applause ] and, and i want to say as well, i can't -- as a parent, i see my kids in these students, i see my kids in the students that are here today. what you went through is horrid. i'm not going to pretend to

understand what you went through. there are no words for it. it's monstrous. and no -- nobody should have to endure that. i want to answer your question. george mason was one of the founders and he said, the militia is the whole of the people. it's every man, it's every woman. that is who the militia is, in the context of the time, a well-regulated militia meant an american man, an american woman, a citizen of the united states of america, who could operate and service their firearm. >> how is an 18-year-old -- this is not -- that was in the context of the time. >> yes. >> how, now, is an 18-year-old with a military assault rifle well regulated? use supporting detail. >> right. he's not -- he's not -- he shouldn't have been able to get a firearm. he should have been barred from getting a firearm. >> he bought it legally! >> and he should not have been able to. he should not have been able to -- >> so why haven't you done

something about it! >> i'm trying to do it. >> so what are you -- the nra, with going to do about it? >> let me answer. if we're here to have a discussion, that's why i'm here. i want you to ask me every question, i want to answer every question that you have. >> let's have some respect. she's here to answer the questions. let's let her answer the questions. >> he should have, a, never have been able to get a firearm. b, people who are crazy should not be able to get firearms. people who are dangerous to themselves and other individuals should not be able to obtain a firearm. we -- and there isn't a loophole. it's a criminal act. and that's what we have to start calling it. we have to start -- number one, following up on red flags. 39 times in the past year, it was law enforcement or it was social services that went to this individual's home. now, there are two florida statutes. one of them, i don't know if the comment he would have put on youtube would have qualified for you to baker act them. but telling other students that

he was going to murder and kill them, i think would qualify under a florida state statute for you to baker act him. >> let me respond to that. first of all, we've talked about the broward sheriff's office and some other local agencies and the fbi getting tips and what have you. america, there's one person responsible for this act. that's the detestable, violent killer. he is responsible for this act. no other -- nobody else but him. there's three things we need to do in america to keep america safe. number one, we have to use through crime prevention, through environmental design. build schools differently so they're harder to penetrate. number two. we need to be empowering police officers and deputy sheriffs throughout the nation to be able to take people who are an immediate threat to themselves or an immediate threat to someone else to be examined. . and we need to take guns away from them, forever.

they should never get them back. they should have to go through a psychological evaluation. and if we have a doctor or a clinician have to sign their john hancock and say, that person should be given back their second amendment right, we're not going to see doctors do that. but, lastly, we do need to have some gun control reform. 18-year-olds should never have a rifle! an 18-year-old kid should not have a rifle. 18-year-old kid -- they're not adults yet. they're in high school. these kids should not have a rifle. bump stocks should be illegal. they should be outlawed forever. automatic rifles should be outlawed forever. and anybody who says different, i don't know about other people, but emma and i, we're calling bs on that. [ cheers and applause ] >> earlier tonight -- earlier tonight, i'm going right to you. earlier tonight, senator rubio said that he supported the notion of raising the legal purchasing age from 18 to 21 for

semiautomatic weapons. that is not the position of the nra. why is it not your position? >> well, it's not the position of the nra, because i think that if we're -- we are asking young men and women to go and serve their country, that they should be able to also have a firearm. i'm also thinking of young women -- >> there is a military exemption. >> true, true, but specifically, where it relates to long guns. because it's 21 for handguns, 18 for long guns. but i also think of young women, and you've had a previous town hall where you spoke with a young woman named kim corben who was a college student who was brutally raped in her dorm and she was under the age of 21. and one of the things that she speaks out about loudly now is how she wished she would have had the ability to have some sort -- a shotgun, whatever it was, to be able to defend herself. i was 20 years old when i lived on my own. i didn't live with my parents when i was 20. i lived on my own when i was 20 years old.

and i didn't -- well, not at first, but i had a shotgun. i think we have to take that into consideration. we have to think about individuals. if you're old enough to vote, you're old enough to drive a car, you're old enough to serve your country, i think that you are old enough if -- now, here's the caveat. if anyone wants to listen to the caveat. the caveat, though, jake, and for everybody out there, is if you are not a danger to yourself or others. that's what it comes back to. if you are not a threat to yourself or your community, that is what it comes back to. >> i want to go to laurie who lost her daughter, alyssa, in the shooting. alyssa was 14. she was a soccer player and laurie has a question for dana. laurie? >> please hold all applause until the end. wake up, america.

fight for the survival of your children. fight for the right to go to school and to feel safe. no child should ever turn to their mother at 6 years of age and ask, mommy, am i going to die today? my name is laurie alhadeff, my daughter is alyssa alhadeff. she lost her life at school, shot three times. she was not able to be identified until 2:00 a.m. in the morning. along with 16 other parents who is lost their children, i am tired of people doing enough. this horrific incident has to be the catalyst that finally puts things in action. let's make our schools safe again, #alyssaalhadeff. in 2013, the nra released the 220-page report to call for more security at schools. it detailed security guards, teacher training, bomb-sniffing dogs, expanded police presence in schools.

here we are, five years later and nothing has been done. our teachers need to be properly trained to teach our children how to handle a code red. we can visually mark hiding areas in the classrooms to protect our children from being gunned down. where are our metal detectors? where is our bulletproof glass? where are children's i.d. badges with the photos, names, and the ability to open locked doors? where are the new versions of amber alerts before school safety? where are the lists of things to do and the ability to do them that every school needs to have in order to provide safety for our kids. where is the funding to protect the ones who will be the future of our nation? who is the funding safety -- who is funding the safety protocols? how are state and federal teams working together? how do the local police forces support our schools?

who will lead the programs to pass new laws that require security cameras, bulletproof shields in classrooms, more drills for teachers to help manage things such as things that they have faced. where are the school psychologists? who is helping to put a plan for that in place? and why hasn't anything been done since sandy hook? how many more of these do we need to endure before something happens. we need an emergency meeting now! put politics aside and put our children first. i don't want to see another parent lose a child in this senseless way! i want us to all send our kids to school with the feeling of security in the name of #alyssaalhadeff and the 16 others who lost their lives and the thousands who are traumatized and speaking up for

their rights. we must bring about change. clear calls to action to make our school safe again. how do the nra and lawmakers work together? who is going to pay for this? what is the plan to put things into action? these are my questions? and we all want a clear answer. enough talk! what is your action?! [ cheers and applause ] >> so in 2013, the nra did release its national school shield task force major recommendations. what did happen with them? >> 150 schools across the country have implemented them so far. it's up to the schools and the parents of those schools, if they want to use those resources and they want to use those

suggestions in order to, you know, as this mother was suggesting, and those were great questions. the nra has already partnered with law enforcement. in fact, this organization is one of the biggest partners of law enforcement. we've trained thousands of law enforcement members all across the country. and we're still expanding. and this is one of the things that i want to make clear, as well. it's -- i think it's up to schools and parents to determine what they want to do in their schools. that's -- the nra is not going to make that decision. if they want to have armed guards, if they want to have retired military. if they choose and teachers volunteer to be armed, i think that's up to each individual school and the teachers of that school district. but if they also want a solution that doesn't involve firearms, if they want to talk about checkpoint systems, if they want to talk about reinforcing doors, the nra, our resources are at their disposal. that's what school shield was created for.

>> sheriff? >> i agree with what dana said. but i think the problem is too many people want to do the same old, same old. the author said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is insanity. we in this country, we need to do something different. if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. but let's try doing something different. let's try to set -- if you have a football team and they're getting burned deep, you're going to not let that same receiver -- you're going to give them some help, you're going to bring a safety over the top, you're going to do something different. and i think what we need to do in america is do something different and have less guns on our streets, not more guns. >> i'm just going to give dana the chance to rebut and we'll go to the next question. >> we had three lawmakers on this stage and only one of them hinted at reinforcing the background check system. it is only as good as the records submitted to it. only one of them even got anywhere close to mentioning

that. we have to have more than 38 states submit records. that's number one. number two, we have to develop better protocol to follow up on red flags. this monster carrying bullets to school, carrying knifes to school, assaulting students, assaulting his parents, 39 visits in the past year. that should never have been allowed to get that far. and i don't have the authority or the resources to follow up on that. if you want to give me the authority and resources, i'll follow up on those red flags. but i don't have that authority to do so. this is why we have to start asking these questions. i want to see your network ask these questions. i want to see these headlines in the media more. we have to follow up on protocol and why are the states not complying with this law? >> so let's talk about red flags. the next question comes from jim gard. he's a math teacher. he had taught -- he had taught three of the victims and he has a question for sheriff israel. >> sheriff israel, as far as i

know, the fbi would be the expert organization and would have the experience and know-how to take tips, conduct an investigation, and conclude whether to act or not to act on such tips. it seems as though the fbi certainly had enough cause to investigate the case prior to the 17 murders. it's fair to say that people are disgusted with the inaction of this organization. why were these tips considered unimportant enough to not have further action? who would make this decision? has the fbi apologized for their failure to act upon these tips? who ultimately would be the person who decided that this now very relevant case was irrelevant? >> so, sheriff, obviously, this is a question for the fbi. i want to point out that we did invite the fbi director and somebody from the field office

in miami to come here tonight to answer your questions. they declined. but their excuse that this is part of an ongoing investigation. but if you would address what you can about the red flags, not just the tips called into the fbi, but also the visits by the police to the shooter's house. how does that -- dana is talking about getting those red flags into some sort of system to prevent that person from being able to buy a firearm. how would that work? it obviously didn't in this case. how should it work? >> let's start out by saying, if we had this conversation two or three or four years ago, i would say the primary group of people, the primary industry that's going to protect our children are law enforcement. now i actually believe it's the lawmakers. things have to change in washington, d.c., tallahassee, and state capitals to make these changes. thank you.

the broward sheriff's office, we received tips, numerous tips on this killer. some we answered by phone, some were out of state, some we went out there. our command staffer actually looking into some of these tips to make sure we did everything right. if we made a mistake, i'll act accordingly and deal with it. the person responsible is the agent or the detective or the person who received the tip and didn't exercise their due diligence and took it where they needed to be. all that being said, what i'm asking the lawmakers to give police all over this country is more power. in florida, we call it a baker act. it allows us to take an individual to be, against their will, involuntarily, to go to a mental health facility and be treated. what i'm saying is that if a police officer that we pay a good salary to keep us safe feels that the totality of circumstances, the computer, the bedroom, the pictures, the photographs, speaking to the friends, if we feel the totality of the circumstances rises to the level where we're concerned this person might be mentally ill, we need to power to take every firearm they have away

from them and bring them to a mental health facility. >> 39 visits not meet that standard? 39 visits, assaulting students, assaulting parents, taking bullets and knives to school did not meet that standard? >> which are you speaking about specifically? >> i know there's one florida statute, if he's sending messages, threatening to kill people, that right there, under florida state law -- >> who did he send the message to kill people to? >> buzzfeed, ap, reuters, yahoo! news, all reported -- to other students. >> who was the victim? but reuters can't be a victim. the only person who can be a victim -- >> they were reporting it, sheriff, is what i'm saying. >> so if an individual was threatened and it was real, that's a crime. >> yes. >> but if he was posting thing -- >> they were threatened with death. they were threatened that they were going to plead -- bleed. they were threatened that they were going to be killed. >> what's your specific case? >> he had already taken bullets and knifes to school. he had already assaulted people. he had assaulted his parent. he had assaulted other students.

39 visits. and this was known to the intelligence and law enforcement community. now, i'm not -- look, i'm not saying that you can be everywhere at once. >> you're not -- >> you have to follow up on these red flags. >> you're not the litmus test -- you're absolutely not the litmus test for how law enforcement should follow up. you're wrong. there weren't 39 visits. some of them, they were goa, some of them called from other states. to say there were 39 visits, i don't know where you got those facts. >> media. >> but you're completely wrong. >> did they report it inaccurately? >> they reported it inaccurately. >> if you're going to stand up in front of a national audience. we will decide and discern what deputies did, what investigators did. and we will -- i will handle it accordingly and people will be punished if they didn't do what they're supposed to do. but that being said, the power of police is not that -- is not as great as it should be. we need to take people out of their homes and involuntary

baker act them. if the totality of the circumstances rise and they're not an immediate threat to themselves or someone else. but here's the most important point. if you and i were -- our sport was tennis and we tore our acls, the doctor would say, surgery was successful, you're released from the hospital. we can't go back and play tennis the next day. we need to rehabilitate. when we release an individual from a mental health facility, they're not ready to go out and carry a gun. they have to rehabilitate. and that's a year process, a two-year process. and they should never be around firearms. that's where i agree with you. it's making sure people -- but it's not one thing anymore. it's three or four things. it's building schools differently. it's having our mayors and our commissioners give more money to police, more money to schoolteachers. >> and funding to reinforce schools. >> yes.

>> i want to go now to linda biegel schulman. she lost her son, scott biegel. >> the declaration of independence was written in 1776, which gave my son the unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. so i ask you, why are my son's unalienable rights not protected as fiercely as the right to bear arms? >> i'm sorry for what you experienced. and i'm not -- as i said, i'm a parent, but i have not been in this position. and as a parent, it terrifies me, to be honest with you. >> it should. >> it's terrifying.

now, you asked whether it's a life or firearm or life or second amendment thing. i think that all life should be protected. all life should be protected. that's why next week, there's going to be good guys with guns that are going to be in school protecting lives, just as there's armed security here. we are in the presence of firearms protecting lives. this isn't a you -- if you believe in your right to self-defense, you hate kids. or if you believe in your right to self-defense, you don't believe that people have the right to live. that's not what this issue is. this issue is about making sure that we're protecting innocent lives. no innocent lives should be lost. none of them should. >> when the second amendment was ratified, they were talking about muskets. we're not talking about muskets. we're talking about assault rifles. we're talking about weapons of mass destruction that kill

people. [ cheers and applause ] >> on that issue, at the time, there were fully automatic weapons that were available. in fact, the continental congress reviewed a purchase of one of those firearms -- >> it doesn't make it right. >> what i'm saying is, there were more than just muskets available. we don't say that no one has a right to free speech because of twitter or social media. but the point that you raise, and i think it's a good one, and i know what you're saying. and believe me, i understand that. i think all innocent life should be protected. i don't think that you should have ever had to have gone through that. if i could change time and change circumstances, i would have done everything in my power to prevent that. >> i think you have the power.

>> sheriff, did you want to weigh in? >> columbine, sandy hook, stoneman douglas and a host of other tragedies, doing it the same way isn't working. and i could tell you, you're not going to change, you know, with all due respect, and i think you're an amazing woman, you're not going to change her mind. there's only one way to make america safely. what you're going to have to do, as i said, this young generation, we didn't get it done, but you will get it done. vote in people who feel the same way you do. [ cheers and applause ] >> i want to make a couple -- one point. this is the eighth tragedy, the eighth tragedy where we have seen numerous tips that have been reported and red flags

that -- i mean. are we talking about prevention or not? i think it's incredibly important. in charleston they had to say -- they had to come out and say that it was a paperwork error that this individuals was a prohibited possessor. in south carolina you have to be convicted with a felony and he shouldn't have been able to purchase the firearm. the worst school shooting with the murderer in virginia, this individual was court ordered to undergo mental health evaluations. and he slipped through the cracks. he would have never been able to purchase if this had been known. this is what i'm talking about. in terms of prevention and making sure that people who are dangerous should not have access to firearms without punishing law-abiding american who is want to be able to have that same right to defend themselves. >> i want to thank dana loesch of the nra and sheriff scott israel for being here to listen to your questions.

when we come back with, a powerful moment with the students of stoneman douglas that you will not want to miss. please stay with us. (daniel jacob) for every hour that you're idling in your car, you're sending about half a gallon of gasoline up in the air. that amounts to about 10 pounds of carbon dioxide every week. (malo hutson) growth is good, but when it starts impacting our quality of air and quality of life, that's a problem. so forward-thinking cities like sacramento are investing in streets that are smarter and greener. the solution was right under our feet. asphalt. or to be more precise, intelligent asphalt. by embedding sensors into the pavement, as well as installing cameras on traffic lights, we will be able to analyze the flow of traffic. then that data runs across our network, and we use it to optimize the timing of lights, so that travel times are shorter. who knew asphalt could help save the environment?

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i we worked with pg&eof to save energy because wenie. wanted to help the school. they would put these signs on the door to let the teacher know you didn't cut off the light. the teachers, they would call us the energy patrol. so they would be like, here they come, turn off your lights! those three young ladies were teaching the whole school about energy efficiency. we actually saved $50,000. and that's just one school, two semesters, three girls. together, we're building a better california.

welcome back to cnn townhall with the students and families of faculty of stoneman douglas high school. we're closing out the evening with two special contributions from members of your community. the first is a poem written by the late alex schachter read by his father max. after the poe many students from douglas drama will perform a song called shine they wrote this week to honor their friends after the shooting. max. >> two weeks ago alex was assign add poem for a literary fair.

he decided to write about roller coasters because alex loved roller coasters. he wasn't writing about his life and had no idea his process poem would become the future. ryan, my son over in the head shirt wearing the stoneman douglas eagle regimen shirt read this poem at alex's funeral and i would like to read it to you because it's amazing. i love it and i want everyone to hear the words. life is like a roller costar, a free verse poem by alex schachter. life is like a roller coaster. it has some ups and downs. sometimes you can take it slow or very fast. it may be hard to breathe at times. but you have to push yourself

and keep going. your bar is your safety. it's like your family and friends. you hold on tight and you don't let go. but sometimes you might throw your hands up, because your friends and family will always be with you. just like that bar keeping you safe at all times, it may be too much for you at times. the twists, the turns, the upside downs, but you get back up. you keep chugging along. eventually it comes to a stop. you won't know when or how. but you will know that it will time to get off and start anew. life is like a roller coaster. [ applause ] ♪

♪ you threw my city away ♪ you tore down the walls and opened up all the gates ♪ ♪ you you ruined this town ♪ you burned all the bridges and you slowly let us drown ♪ ♪ but you're not going to knock us down ♪ ♪ we'll get back up again ♪ you may have hurt us ♪ but i promise we are not going to let you in ♪ ♪ we're putting up a fight ♪ you may have broke the door ♪ but together we will shine the light ♪ ♪ and we will be something special ♪ we're going to shine ♪ shine ♪ we're we're going to stand tall ♪

♪ going to raise up our voices so we never ever fall ♪ ♪ we're done ♪ with all your little games ♪ we're tired of hearing that we're too young to ever make a change ♪ ♪ because you're not going to knock us down ♪ ♪ we'll get back up again ♪ you may have hurt us but i promise we'll be stronger and ♪ ♪ we're not going to let you in ♪ ♪ we're putting up a fight ♪ you may have brought the dark but together we will shine a light ♪ ♪ we can hug a little tighter ♪ love a little more ♪ laugh a little harder ♪ stand up and roar ♪ if we all come together it will be all right ♪ ♪ stand up for one another and we'll never give up the fight

♪ >> we refuse to be ignored by those a will not listen. there are so many things you can do to become involved, reach out to congressman. mail call and tweet. >> the smallest of words can make the biggest difference. >> be the voice for those who don't have one. >> together we have the power to change the world around us. ♪ you're not going to knock us down ♪ ♪ we'll get back up again ♪ you may have hurt us but i promise we'll be stronger and ♪ ♪ we're not going to let you in ♪ ♪ we're putting up a fight ♪ you may have brought the dark but together we will shine the light ♪ ♪ you're not going to knock us down ♪ ♪ we'll get back up again ♪ you may have hurt us but i promise we'll be stronger and ♪ ♪ we're that going to let you win ♪ ♪ we're putting up a fight ♪ you may have brought the dark but together we will shine the light ♪ ♪ and we will be something special ♪

♪ oh, we will shine [ cheers and applause ] what an incredibly powerful night. this this is a conversation that could change things in in country and we're going to continue it right now right here on cnn tonight. welcome to cnn tonight. i'm don lemon. thanks for joining us. you heard the students of stoneman douglas high school. teenagers fearlessly speaking out one week after the deadly rampage in their school. politician coming together to hear the demands for action and listening to those kids. it feels like maybe finally something will be done in time. because those students and the parents of those who died told us all of us tonight, loud and clear, that they won't be ignored.